Overview

Ratings & Reviews

Synopsis

The Fighting SeabeesThe Fighting Seabees is Republic Pictures' rip-roaring tribute to the US Navy's Construction Batallions (C.B.), without whom no plane would ever have gotten off the ground during WW2. John Wayne stars as Wedge Donovan, head of civilian construction company stationed in a pre-Pearl Harbor South Pacific war area. Despite Donovan's pleas to the Navy brass, he is denied permission to train his men for combat, the better to stave off imminent Japanese attack. Only after incurring heavy losses is Donovan given a commission and his men officially enlisted in the Navy. The self-sacrifical climax, as Donovan destroys a Japanese tank batallion at the cost of his own life, is one of the best-staged action highlights of its kind. As Constance Chesley, Susan Hayward finds herself in the unenviable position of being the apex in a romantic triangle involving herself, Wedge Donovan and Lt. Cmdr. Robert Yarrow (Dennis O'Keefe); her climactic speech, explaining how it's possible to love two men equally, is so well delivered that it transcends its essential corniness. Of the supporting cast, William Frawley stands out as Irish seabee Eddie Powers, who virtually signs his own death warrant when he begins singing happily just before an enemy sneak attack. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

At least it's a John Wayne Movie?

This BR was a bit of a mixed bag for me, first off the movie has a glitch in the transfer when John Wayne is first in the office talking about forming the CBs, where the image gets ghosty for a couple of shots. That compiled with a film that's clearly not been remastered since the last time it saw release on DVD, now that doesn't mean it's a bad transfer, it's more that it's underwhelming... however! Then we get to the actual film itself. The movie is about the formation of a construction battalion during WW2, and John Wayne plays the owner of an important construction company that's trying to work with the military to create this new battalion, but his hard-headedness and impatiens gets in the way. The movie itself is really enjoyable, and if you're in the know one of only a handful of films in which John Wayne doesn't get the girl. I'm happy to have in my collection.

I would recommend this to a friend

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Land

Member

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

4

John Wayne

I really enjoyed this John Wayne movie.
It was a nice addition to my John Wayne BD collection too.
Though watching the movie in a complete dark room makes the picture at times difficult to see. I found dimming a light in the room improves the overall quality of this black and white movie!